Labour is facing a storm of criticism in the Commons after confirming 29 English councils will postpone their May elections. This move could impact a whopping 3.7 million voters as the Government fast-tracks council shake-ups.

Nearly half of councils push polls to 2027 amid shake-up

Local Government Secretary Steve Reed revealed that almost half of the 63 councils that offered the choice last month have opted to delay elections until 2027. This pause supports a planned shift to unitary authorities expected by 2028, meaning current councillors will have their terms briefly extended until new elections.

Opposition hits out: Labour accused of election cancellations

Shadow Local Government Secretary Sir James Cleverly didn’t hold back, branding the postponements “unprecedented cancellations.” He jabbed at Labour’s recent slump in the polls, asking: “What was it about the Labour Party’s collapse in opinion polls that first attracted him to cancelling local elections?”

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle weighed in, accusing Mr Reed of “putting pressure on councils” and hinting the delays reflect Labour’s declining support. Meanwhile, Reform UK is mounting a legal challenge against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government over the election postponements.

Accusations fly over council pressure and broken promises

Sir James further accused Mr Reed of bombarding councils with letters urging them to request election delays—even sending correspondence as late as last night. He demanded answers: “He wants to cancel all these elections. So why does he not simply say so?”

He also charged the Government with squeezing council finances and breaking reorganisation promises.

Government pushes back, insists reforms will improve local government

Mr Reed hit back, insisting councillors’ terms would only be extended briefly until unitary council elections take place in 2027. He told MPs: “To those who say we’ve cancelled all the elections, we haven’t. To those who say it’s all Labour councils, it isn’t. I’ve asked, I’ve listened, and I’ve acted. No messing about, no playing politics, just getting on with the job of making local government work better for local people.”